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This weekend, caravans of caffeine lovers will wind through the Memphis’ streets in search of the hottest — or the iciest — drip in town.

The third annual Grind City Coffee Tour is about to have the city buzzing for all the right reasons.

The tour is suitable for everyone from the novice, like yours truly, to the connoisseur. About a dozen shops across three neighborhoods will open their doors for the daylong circuit.

“I wanted to bring people that may not have been to these local coffee shops to the shops themselves,” said Daniel Lynn, director of the Grind City Coffee Foundation, a nonprofit that supports Memphis coffee culture and water conservation through its annual Grind City Coffee Xpo and events like this one. (Courtesy Mark Adams)

“I wanted to bring people that may not have been to these local coffee shops to the shops themselves,” said Daniel Lynn, director of the Grind City Coffee Foundation, a nonprofit that supports Memphis coffee culture and water conservation through its annual Grind City Coffee Xpo and events like this one. “It’s about supporting them, seeing where they are and maybe getting a little behind-the-scenes peek at how they work.”

My earliest connections to coffee are as warm and rich as the beverage itself with its roots in Africa, Brazil and the Caribbean. And they all remind me of my mother.

I remember noting her devotion to the instant variety each morning before school and loving the smell that would waft through our small suburban townhome in Michigan.

On Sunday mornings after worship, the ladies of our church would gather on one side of the fellowship hall while the gentlemen sat on another. Each person would cradle a Styrofoam cup of coffee in their hands as they debated the day’s topic among themselves.

I’d watch my mother closely while she prepared her cup before joining her circle. Then I’d repeat the steps of adding coffee, Equal and creamer to her cup when she was ready for a refill but didn’t want to leave the conversation.

The Grind City Coffee Xpo returns March 2026. (Courtesy Mark Adams)

And on the rare days I tagged along with her to work at a local college, I’d proudly put my Sunday morning skills to use to make her perfect cup of coffee while she assisted students in her office.

But I was never allowed to taste it. You name the old wives’ tale, I heard it:

Coffee will stunt your growth.

Children can’t sip from adults’ cups because it’ll make them grow up too fast.

Coffee will put hair on your chest.

Grind City Coffee Xpo took place at Wiseacre Downtown on Nov. 5, 2022. (Courtesy Mark Adams)

As a naturally curious (read: rebellious) child, I eventually sneaked a sip. Big mistake. Coffee was not for me. I continued to cherish both the aroma and the opportunity to prepare my mother’s cup, but I knew better than to drink it myself.

Years later, my mind would be changed — one cup at a time. It wasn’t until adulthood when I found a cup that tasted as inviting as those Sunday morning cups smelled. Naiman Rigby’s weekly coffee popup at Boycott Coffee completely shifted my perspective.

“Coffee was super intimidating at one point for me,” Lynn said. “That’s why I started doing this; I wanted to take some of that out of coffee. Even if you’re a novice, (the caravan) is perfect for you.”

I’ve only been exploring the origins and tastes of coffee for less than a year, but I’m excited to dive deeper into dark versus light roasts, cold brews, espressos, lattes, and more.

This weekend’s Grind City Coffee Tour will give me a chance to learn about the coffee scene in the appropriately nicknamed Grind City.

Grind City Coffee Xpo took place at Wiseacre Downtown on Nov. 5, 2022. (Courtesy Mark Adams)

Tickets for each neighborhood are $15 and include tastings at multiple locations. A portion of proceeds benefits Protect Our Aquifer, because, as Lynn put it, “you can’t have good coffee without really, really, really good water.”

Folks are encouraged to carpool to curb our collective carbon footprint while exploring the city’s coffee scene.

Downtown stops include French Truck Coffee and Dr. Bean’s Coffee & Tea Emporium.

Midtown and nearby neighborhoods add another five, including Ramblin’ Joe’s and Cxffee Black’s Anti-Gentrification Coffee Club.

Out East, Congregation Coffee, Sweet LaLa’s Bakery and others will welcome buzz-seekers and java devotees alike.

Congregation Coffee is located in Germantown. The shop is located where the original Forest Hill Baptist once stood. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)

“Across four — five shops when it comes to the Central route — you’ll be pretty caffeinated by the end,” Lynn said. “And hopefully you’ll take away a little more knowledge and maybe find a new favorite coffee shop.”

Memphis never needed caffeine to create a buzz — but this weekend, it certainly won’t hurt.

The Grind City Coffee Tour is Saturday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tickets can be bought online. The Grind City Coffee Xpo returns March 2026.

This week on the Memphis food scene

In Food Files, Sophia Surrett lets us know what game parlor has successfully opened its (new) doors and “how the sausage is made” at an East Memphis deli.

Tariffs are increasing the costs of both production and goods for Memphis restauranteurs and suppliers, but the way they handle the added weight varies.

Soybeans are planted May 8 near Waverly, Minn. (Mark Vancleave/AP file)

Omnivores may want to add a little additional protein to Erica Horton’s latest $15 Deal from Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant, but they definitely can’t complain about the flavor or the variety.

You’ve likely not thought about sushi deep fried in pancake batter for breakfast, but it’s exactly what to order at Kitchen Laurel in Midtown.

And there are still a couple of days left to go to this year’s Monster Market. Elle Perry helps us to understand its origins and who to expect to see there, like Allie Trotter’s heavy-metal-inspired bakery Whisks of Doom.

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